This invention is concerned with improvements in coin pick up wheels used in receiving and validation apparatus of the type typically employed at toll stations on tolled roadways.
The invention is concerned particularly with improvements to coin pick up wheels for use in the coin receiving and validation apparatus as described in Australian Patent No. 645548.
The coin receiving and validation apparatus of Australian Patent No. 645548 comprises a coin acceptor mechanism having a disc-like coin pick up wheel with a planar upper surface and spaced coin recesses about its periphery. The pick up wheel is rotatably mounted on an annular base which is inclined at an angle of about 45xc2x0 to vertical.
Coins or tokens of various denominations are directed to a coin hopper mounted over the lower region of the coin receiver and coins are collected in the coin recesses as the pick up wheel rotates. As the wheel rotates it carries each coin past an electromagnetic validation sensor located in the base, the sensor being coupled to a solenoid actuated reject mechanism for rejecting invalid coins.
The description of Australian Patent No. 645548 states that the validation sensor is located intermediate the ends of a rebated channel at the uppermost region of the annular base. When the coins drop into the rebated channel they are urged past the sensor by a tapered leading edge of a rib extending from the undersurface of the coin pick up wheel. The front end of each rib is tapered so that a portion of the leading edge thereof will always engage a coin, regardless of size, in the rebated channel to ensure that coins are stably held as they roll or are pushed along the rebated channel for coin validation.
While the primary purpose of the rebated channel is stated to be for the stabilization of small coins as they are moved past the coin validation to ensure accurate detection, current coin receiving and validation apparatus marketed by the patentee does not include a recessed channel in the annular base nor does it include a rib on the back of the coin pick up wheel. Current models of coin receiving and validation apparatus have a coin pick up wheel with a planar rear face resting directly against the planar face of the base.
Once a coin is validated it is directed to an aperture in the annular base to fall under the influence of gravity into a coin collector.
The disc-like coin pick up wheel and the annular base are made from a very rigid polyurethane polymer to resist wear from coins.
Although generally effective for their intended purpose, the pick up wheels of the coin receiving and validation apparatus of Australian Patent No. 645548 do however suffer a number of problems in practice,
The main problem is the inability of the pick up wheel to reliably handle small coins such as an Australian five-cent piece or an American dime. These small coins tend to jam between the coin pick up wheel and the annular base necessitating attention by a maintenance operator to remove the pick up wheel to access the jammed coin. Typically clearance of a coin jammed apparatus takes about twenty minutes thus necessitating closure of the toll lane for that period.
In busy periods closure of one or more toll lanes for twenty minutes not only reduces daily toll revenue but also can restrict overall traffic flow on the tollway as motorists are directed into fewer toll lanes.
Investigations revealed that in some instances, coin jams were due to buckling of the original coin pick up wheels at ambient temperatures in excess of about 30xc2x0 C. This means that coin jams are likely to be more frequent at certain times of the days during hotter seasons or in certain geographical regions. These original pick up wheels were constructed with a central boss with radially extending stiffening ribs on the undersurface thereof.
Another cause of coin jams results from a build up of material between the coin pick up wheel and the annular base. Over time, a grey, greasy deposit builds up on either or both of the adjacent surfaces of the coin pick up wheel and the annular base. This deposit comprises a particulate abrasion residue from the polyurethane material of which the pick up wheel and annular base are comprised and initially is derived from abrasion between coins and those elements. The abrasive particulate polyurethane material then combines with contamination from the coins to form the greasy deposit.
As the deposit layers build, this increases the friction between the polyurethane components and thus the rate of wear. This deposit build up in turn causes the peripheral edges of the pick up wheel to warp upwardly forming a gap which can entrap small coins between the pick up wheel and the annular base. At least the pick up wheel is believed to be comprised of a thermoplastic polyurethane polymer.
Attempts to increase the traffic throughput in toll lanes by increasing the pick up wheel speed above the manufacturers recommended maximum of 37-38 rpm have caused thermal distortion of the coin pick up wheel and thus coin jamming, as a direct result of increased friction between the pick up wheel and the annular base.
The other main problem associated with the apparatus of Australian Patent No. 645548 is the cost and inconvenience in frequent replacement of worn coin pick up wheels which typically last only for about 100,000 to 150,000 transactions, each transaction representing an average receipt of 3 coins.
Apart from the periodic thermal warping due to ambient temperature conditions and/or the warping due to deposit build ups, the problem of coin jamming is exacerbated by wear in the coin pick up wheels, which have an initial thickness of only about 20 mm. As the thin pick up wheel wears, its thickness diminishes making it less resistant to thermal warping or warping due to deposit build-ups.
Even if one was to disregard the cost of the replacement pick up wheel, the cost of replacement at frequent intervals includes toll lane downtime of about twenty minutes and the resultant loss of toll revenue.
The more recent prior art pick up wheels typically comprised an injection or compression molded disc about 250 mm in diameter with a planar upper surface and a central hub about 150 mm in diameter. Typically, the hub was a solid member about 13 mm thick while the annular outer portion of the pick up wheel was about 2 mm thick with a 90xc2x0 shoulder between the edge of he central hub and the lower surface of the annular outer portion of the pick up wheel.
The later wheels appear to be fabricated from a rigid thermosetting polyurethane material which exhibits thermal stability up to about 200xc2x0 C. however these later wheels are still subject to buckling or warping with consequent jamming of small coins under conditions of elevated humidity. It is considered that the propensity to buckling or warping is a function of differential expansion between the upper and lower surfaces of the coin pick up wheel due to moisture absorption by the polymeric material at the exposed upper facer of the solid central hub and the much thinner annular outer portion.
These later wheels also have a life expectancy of about 100,000 to 150,000 transactions due to wear in the pick up wheel which manifests itself as a reduced capacity to pick up and or retain thicker coins as the pick up wheel rotates. This reduced pick up and retention capacity in turn translates to slower transactional processing equivalent to a reduced pick up wheel rotational speed.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an Improved coin pick up wheel for the apparatus of Australian Patent No. 645548 which pick up wheel is less susceptible to coin jamming problems and is otherwise more durable in service.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a coin pick up wheel for a coin receiving and validating apparatus, said pick up wheel comprising:
a disc-like body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced coin receiving recesses each recess including a chamfered edge portion extending at least partially about an upper edge thereof, said disc-like body having a central hub portion and an annular outer portions said pick up wheel characterised in that said disc-like body is formed from a cross linked high molecular weight polyethylene polymer or co-polymer and further characterised in that said annular outer portion tapers convergently towards an outer edge of said disc-like body.
Suitably said central hub portion includes a boss-like projection extending from a lower face thereof.
Preferably said central hub portion is adapted for mounting to a drive shaft for rotation therewith by at least four equally spaced fasteners extending through said central hub portion. if required said central hub portion may include a planar upper surface portion.
Suitably the disc-like body is formed by a machining process.
The coin receiving recesses may have an inner edge with a thickness in the range of 0.9 mm to 1.3 mm.
Preferably the coin receiving recesses have an inner edge with a thickness in the range 1.0 mm to 1.2 mm.
Most preferably the inner edge of said coin receiving recesses is in the range 1.05 mm to 1.11 mm.
If required the chamfered edge portion of each coin receiving recess extends to an outer edge of said disc-like body at a leading edge of said recess relative to a direction of rotation of said disc-like body.
Suitably, each coin receiving recess comprises a generally concave arcuate inner edge having a plurality of differing radii.
The differing radii of each coin receiving recess may have the same or differing points of origin.
Preferably, said leading edge is formed at a free end thereof as a tangent to an adjacent arcuate edge portion.
If required the differing radii of each coin receiving recess correspond with differing radii of coins receivable by said coin receiving and validating apparatus.
Preferably a radiussed inner edge portion corresponding to a smallest coin is located adjacent a trailing edge of a coin receiving recess opposite said leading edge.